There was a question about what was the most amazing thing of the expedition. The answer
of Ivan Dusharin surprised us:
"In Islamabad the cook of the expedition was introduced to us. He was a local. That
sedate elderly man worked as a main cook for the Agency of Tourism, supervising other
cooks. Ali Madat was the one whom Carlos wanted to have on our expedition. He was sure
that we were lucky to have him with us. |
Ali Madat
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Several years ago when Carlos was on an expedition in Pakistan somebody recommended that
man to him. The got acquainted and really liked each other. So they became friends. Carlos
visited Ali Madat and invited him to visit the US. In all the numerous expeditions that
took place in Pakistan Carlos was accompanied by that honorable man, Ali Madat. Carlos
recommended the cook to his acquaintances from the Agency of Tourism, and Ali Madat has
been working there for 7 years already. Ali remembers and appreciates these things very
well and is very thankful. |
He doesn't really look like a Pakistani. He is gentle, steady and considerate. He is not a
religious fanatic. He didn't participate in fights other Muslims had. It is very pleasant
to be near him. He tried to make a rite out of a usual meal eaten in the base camp. It
turned out to be not just eating the calories, but kind of a small party. Sometimes we had
real parties. Then Ali Madat showed all his cooking skills. And he never rejected
invitations to eat with us.
It was very interesting to watch Ali Madat meeting people coming from the mountains. He
always went with his hot drinks and met them half way from the place where our tents were
pitched to meet those people. You could notice his attitude towards one person or another
(the distance between him and the base camp showed that). To meet Carlos he walked much
further than when he met others. To greet those who reached the summit he picked flowers
and made a garland for each one. It is a nice Eastern tradition of being kind to people.
Do you see how it is not similar to the way Muslims treat others." |
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